The present invention relates to a data processing system using a plurality of OS (Operating Systems) and a plurality of processors, and to, for example, a technology effective if applied to an LSI (Semiconductor Integrated Circuit) of a system-on-chip (SOC) in which a plurality of processors and peripheral circuit devices are on-chipped.
With an increase in application scale required of one data processing system, a system configuration that treats functions of a plurality of processors in a comprehensive manner has been used as in the case of an LSI of an SOC having a multiprocessor chip or a multiprocessor, and the like. Such a system needs to comprehensively control or manage a plurality of processors, peripheral input/output circuits and a memory that constitutes the system. When each processor operated under the control of one OS wants each processor operated under the control of other OS to process a specific task, they must carry out communications therebetween. A procedure like an RPC (Remote Procedure Call) can be used in interprocessor communications at a multiprocessor system. A file system using the RPC is illustrated by an example in a patent document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 8 (1996)-328935). A patent document 2 (International Patent Publication No. 02/061591 pamphlet) has described such an interprocessor communication technology that a CPU of one chip of a plurality of data processor chips is accessible to an internal peripheral circuit device of the other chip thereof.